Hi team! Not much going on, I'm taking it easy again. I worked out, repotted a tree one of my cats keeps attacking, did some housework, and have been reading a book @trooworld recommended. My patient advocate called me to talk about how I have to redo my drug test and said how patient and nice I was, I pointed out I'm doing too bad to pull the covers over my head and sink into a depression or I would have months ago! The sun is out so I may go putter a bit. I can't move everything until the oak trees are trimmed but everything is getting big while waiting so I need to figure out support for the vegetables.

TeresaW1020 wrote: »

@Jactop I am so inspired by how long you have gone without sugar. Today, I heard that it could take a sugar addict up to 7 years to feel like they are truly in recovery, and even then there is going to be the occasional struggle. The thing is that we have to eat and food surrounds us in just about every part of our lives. Do you plan to stay completely sugar-free or will you try introducing it back into your life again? I don’t want to have to go total abstinence, but I really don’t want to continue the battle the rest of my life either. You know?

Wow 7 years??? I've been down the sugar free path enough times to know that once I start eating sugar I'm back to where I started. I've been treating it like an allergy. I can eat it but if I do I'm going to suffer.

I almost caved yesterday when @raleighgirl09 was talking about eating cinnamon rolls from the inside out. I was so tempted to bake some but toasted some carbonaut bread with butter, cinnamon and stevia which wasn't bad and now I'm over it. I'm not sure yet what I'll do if I can't find a substitute

@TwistedSassette If you remember the name of the Zumba disc you liked you might be able to find it on YouTube. I've found videos on YouTube that I had on VHS Tapes from over 30 years ago

TeresaW1020 wrote: »

@Jactop I like this challenge too, which is why I created it. I need all the reminders I can get to finish this week strong and hopefully end the month with a decent loss. You have two good do then and not that for this week! I’m always in bed before 10 pm except for last night when my hubby wasn’t feeling well and went to bed early. Then I partied until 10:45 pm watching YouTube videos.

@raleighgirl09 Good job on having a successful week! I think that if someone can eat all the things in moderation and it not negatively affect them that is great! I’m currently immersing myself deep into the sugar/food addiction world and many of those people would say there is no such thing as moderation when it’s a real trigger for you. Now about truly tasting your food and learning to savor each bite is such good advice! As a sugar addict, I find there are times when I simply inhale and really never taste the food I’m eating. My addiction takes over completely. It’s one of the things that I’m really trying to work on.

@trooworld Glad that you are having such a good weekend and yayy for staying on track!

Hi Team! Today was such a beautiful day. Hubby and I finished cleaning the porches and tomorrow we are going to the garden center to buy some pretties for my pots. I had a great day staying on track and I’m actually going to do this week’s F2F challenge and tomorrow, I’m joining a 5-day challenge on Facebook for sugar addiction. I follow a couple of the people running the program on podcasts and FB so I’m excited to see what they can teach me. I figure every useful piece of information that I can add to my weight management toolbox can help me get to maintenance and stay there. I feel right now that my weight loss journey has been a series of steppingstones. First, I found IF, which is great for me. Then I moved to Keto/low carb and that has been a real game changer. Now getting to the core of my addiction and learning that there can be real freedom is what I’m now going focus hard on.
2021 Word: TRANSFORMATION

@TeresaW1020 I totally get it! It has literally taken me many years and several attempts to be as close to the reality of all things in moderation as I am. I feel like I will likely continue to struggle with some things - hence why I don't bake brownies, knowing I'd eat them all. But I still hold the hope that there is a version of the philosophy for me. Never give up.

raleighgirl09
Monday check in

Welp, Monday morning was a bust! Hubby got up at 4am for an early flight and I was all kindsa off and didn't get to log on BUT this evening I made sure to! That's a win, as you might already have guessed! I had a good day with 2 walks and my calf was fine - no pain or limping, I got my 10,000 steps...so happy about it! Drank plenty of water and had reasonable meals of good, quality foods. No overeating or foods that were off plan, I even decided to avoid a snack around 5 and had no trouble keeping it reasonable when I ate around 8:30. I'm a late eater, I'm ok with it.

With hubs gone, I made a favorite dish I have not had in years, Mapo Dofu, a tofu dish. True comfort food, basically a kinda spicy meat gravy with tofu in it, served over rice - mine was brown rice and quinoa. Below is the recipe link and below that, the pic. And yeah - it's not a pretty dish but way, so delicious! I don't know if this is a super authentic recipe but it sure was good and it's a dish much like meatloaf, anyway - each cook has their own spin on it.

https://www.recipetineats.com/mapo-tofu-mince-tofu-spicy-sauce/

@Katmary71 how big is your vegetable garden? I think you are a very strong woman to keep yourself from sinking into depression. We could all learn a lot from how you handle the really hard stuff.

@TwistedSassette I agree that teaching kids to love real whole foods is so important. When I look back at the junk I ate for most of my life, it’s sad. But it’s never to do better and you are teaching your son when he is young and that will help him his whole life. I’m glad that your foot is feeling better. I once took a Zumba class when I was very out of shape. It was fun but so hard. I would like to try it again and see what I could do.

@Jactop I think that is a great idea to treat sugar like an allergy. Going in prepared for what it will do to us might be a great way to either abstain or at least practice more moderation. Have you tried Googling Keto cinnamon rolls? There are so many recipes that look really good. Is that something you would consider eating as an alternative? I make Churro chaffles with butter, monk fruit sweetener and lots of cinnamon. It’s not the gooey center of a real cinnamon roll but it’s pretty dang tasty!

@caitlingfry Girl, you have no reason to apologize for what is going on with you!! I am sorry that you are struggling with TMI issues. Maybe try some Smooth Move tea or Metamucil. That is very unnerving to have your train of thought so disrupted not once but twice. That is good that you have an appointment but if it happens again you need to go to Urgent Care ASAP. Take care of yourself!

@raleighgirl09 I totally get it too! I am doing this sugar-free challenge and listening to people who have had to give up all forms of sugar forever and I’m either in denial that I would have to be that extreme or I’m really hopeful that I won’t have to be that extreme. Like you, I can’t bake my own pan of brownies but maybe if I was at a party or something, I could eat one brownie and not go off the rails. Believe me, I want moderation really badly!!

@eahrenee The journey of weight loss is full of ups and downs and all you can do is keep striving forward. That gain will come off. And good for you for forcing yourself to do a workout. When I do that I almost always feel so much better.

@Jypsy1 You had a great Monday! I hope the rest of your week will be just as good.


Good morning! I had such a good night's sleep last night and for that, I’m grateful because the night before was awful. I think turning on our ceiling fan really helps. This morning I need to go do my workout and then go grocery shopping. The second-day Zoom meeting for the sugar challenge is at 11 am. I’m hoping to get some good info and will come back and share what I learn.

@Jactop Thanks for the suggestion...I don't recall what it was called but might give me somewhere to start!

@caitlingfry Wow, those episodes sound scary. I'm glad you were able to find your way back to reality quickly, and I hope that's the last of them. And there's no need to apologise, we've all had our share of up and down weeks! P.S. how good is Inside Out?!

@eahrenee Good on you for getting your workout in even when you didn't feel like it! Sometimes it's just convincing ourselves to get started. Please don't give yourself a hard time about the binge. Look inward and try to figure out what triggered it, and use it as a learning experience. You got this!

@raleighgirl09 Sounds like you had a good day even with the early wake up! Sometimes I like it when my hubby is away so I can eat the foods that I like, too.

@Jypsy1 Sounds like a great day!
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Yesterday was good. I went to the supermarket on the way home to get what I needed to make hubby's birthday cake and dinner (it's his birthday today). I got home to find the toddler in super high spirits, being chased with the vacuum cleaner by his daddy, so I quickly got changed and we went out for a walk. It was lovely! And bless his little legs, we walked for 20 minutes which was a little over a kilometre. He still seemed to have energy, and that was after running around the house beforehand. Next time we can try for a longer walk!
I baked the cakes last night so they can be cooled ready for decorating tonight, and then cooked a quick prawn & pork stirfry, packed with veggies. It was yummy! Tonight, per hubby's request, we will be having Thai beef salad. Not exactly warming winter food but it's his birthday so he gets to pick!

I finished the day with a Body Pump express video, and some meditation on positive mindset. Ended up well under on calories so it was a good day overall and my scale is showing it too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Goals for April:

@TwistedSassette I'm glad your foot is doing better! I have links just to dance videos, sorry! Zumba is fun though, I took a class early in COVID with an instructor from Canada but lost the link. Happy birthday to your husband!

@Jactop How funny, you have me wanting cinnamon rolls now! I'm always amazed you work around chocolate and still lose weight!

@caitlingfry Don't even worry about your weight as far as this group, what matters is your health first. That's what I love about this group, it's more of a friendly competition, I would've left if it was lose at all costs. I feel I've made true friendships here that go beyond weight loss, we're a team of friends from all different walks of life trying to improve our health (mentally and physically). THAT is what matters, we're here for each other through the good and bad. Now, does your insurance offer telehealth or any other avenue you can use? Don't hesitate to use urgent care or the ER if it comes to it, unfortunately they're used to people falling through insurance cracks. I always feel horrible going for help but they always reassure me that there's no other option for me right now. Do what you have to do to take care of yourself and prayers you're better soon!

@eahrenee I'm so glad working out improved your mood! I know even dancing to just one song tends to lift my spirits, I rarely regret working out. I hope today starts out great for you.

@raleighgirl09 Your meal looks delicious! My brother does that when my SIL and my nephews are gone, he gets steak and eats it every night for dinner. It's a good way to make being alone fun!

@Jypsy1 Love hearing you had an amazing day, I hope today is even better!

@TeresaW1020 I wish I could post pictures, I'd post a picture of it! Thank you, I appreciate it! Good luck with the sugar summit, I'm interested to hear what you learn! Sleep is the cornerstone of everything for me, if I don't sleep I feel worse plus it's all harder to cope with. The ceiling fan does help!

@trooworld Did you avoid the machines?

Wed check-in
Doing the same, I've been taking it a little easy to let the steroids kick in. I have my endometrial biopsy in an hour, I'm not looking forward to this because I've had them and they aren't fun. I've been through worse but that doesn't mean I want to hurt more than I already do! I just know if I don't do it there will be something wrong and then I'll be mad at myself for being a wimp so I'll get it over with. I rent from my dad and he was going to schedule the oak tree trimming today but I wouldn't be allowed in my bedroom in case a branch crashed through the roof so I would've had a bunch of guys in the trees over the house, my dad being a basket case because he thinks they're going to fall and die and sue him, and I'd be crampy and I would have to be social and not lay down in my bed. I begged him to change the day! They were supposed to do it last week and flaked and I always hand out drinks so my fridge is packed. I've skipped gardening at the food bank this last week but still have basil and tomatoes here to donate to them so I'm not completely out-of-the-loop.

Have a great Wed, don't know if I'll work out or not, I need to try some recipes in my new cookbook so I may work on that when I get home plus I'm supposed to get Scoby from someone to make Kombucha, I picked up a big container for it and tea and I'm ready to go once I get the disgusting Scoby!

Katmary71 wrote: »

@TwistedSassette I'm glad your foot is doing better! I have links just to dance videos, sorry! Zumba is fun though, I took a class early in COVID with an instructor from Canada but lost the link. Happy birthday to your husband!



@caitlingfry Don't even worry about your weight as far as this group, what matters is your health first. That's what I love about this group, it's more of a friendly competition, I would've left if it was lose at all costs. I feel I've made true friendships here that go beyond weight loss, we're a team of friends from all different walks of life trying to improve our health (mentally and physically). THAT is what matters, we're here for each other through the good and bad. Now, does your insurance offer telehealth or any other avenue you can use? Don't hesitate to use urgent care or the ER if it comes to it, unfortunately they're used to people falling through insurance cracks. I always feel horrible going for help but they always reassure me that there's no other option for me right now. Do what you have to do to take care of yourself and prayers you're better soon!










!

@katmary71- Perfectly said! I feel exactly the same way about this group. (and I sure hope your biopsy was not too painful and you have good results)

Hi all- I've been popping in, but things are a bit topsy turvey right now...... with the kids home, there are things like printer emergencies, arguing over who left a chex mix bag on the toilet, etc. Keeps life interesting and amusing. On Tuesday, my mother in law will arrive and on Wed, my sis in law and her husband. They will be here for a week. I've been cleaning and preparing for that. I'm very excited about this because we get along well (in spite of being inlaws!) and we have not seen them in almost two years thanks to Covid. Been trying to get caught up at work so I can ignore work while they are here. Monday is my birthday= a treat is in order. It would be so easy right now to throw everything out the window and get back on track after they leave. Normally that would be exactly what I would do. Yesterday, I did what @GabiV125 does- walked until I felt the stress release. During that, I thought- "why is my health the first thing I want to throw out the window when I'm busy?" So, I decided I'm not doing it. Yes, there will be some slip ups, it won't be perfect. I'm going to put up as many on plan days as I can, and while they are here, I will eat mindfully and listen to my hunger. I will resist "what the H--l mentality" I will not skip exercising. I will not allow myself to snack off plan because I "feel stressy". We will see what happens..... all I can do is the best I can. I'm going to make sure it's a good effort.

Lisa

@trooworld Thank you for the birthday wishes. Sorry about your shoulder injury, that would suck! I like Body Pump but I forgot how much I do NOT like DOMS...
I hope you managed to stay out of the vending machines!

@Katmary71 Thank you for the birthday wishes, he had a good day. I hope the biopsy went well and you're not in too much pain afterwards. I have had those too, it's not fun

@leonadixon Great idea, putting the bike front and centre! It's so easy to "forget" it when it's tucked away somewhere lol. 15 mins is a great start!

@Cornanda I love the plan you came up with. It's simple and no-nonsense, and I love that you questioned yourself on the "why". Happy birthday for Monday!

@GabiV125 Some awesome NSVs to go along with your SV!

@askewcr Welcome!!

@TeresaW1020 Sorry that the Zoom call wasn't good. I guess there are a bunch of different approaches to beating sugar addiction, and I think it's great that you know what end outcome you want. Now it's just figuring out how to get there. Sometimes knowing what won't work for you is half the battle, and you have that sorted already!
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I had a good day yesterday! Hubby's birthday was nice. He requested Thai beef salad for dinner which is light and low-calorie so that allowed me to have a piece of cake. Now, I must ask you to not open the spoiler below if you are triggered by chocolate cake because damn, this cherry ripe layer cake I made was delicious! Between four of us (including the toddler), we ate about a quarter of it. I think it's gonna take us weeks to get through the rest!
I was over my MFP calorie goal for the day but only by 120 calories, so I still had a good deficit for the day. I did some indoor walking to get my step count up, so that helped too.

I'm feeling really sore from the Body Pump a couple of days ago - this is why I don't do a lot of strength training! It doesn't feel that hard at the time but damn it hurts a few days later! I'd like to take the toddler for another walk today and do some yoga tonight. Just keeping it gentle for now.

@TeresaW1020 I must thank you for this week's challenge, I think it was just what I needed to get myself back on track. This morning the scale showed me a number I haven't seen in a long time, and my quirky goal ladder tells me I've now lost the equivalent of 40 human hearts! I hope to see it drop just a little lower again for my official weigh in tomorrow, but if not then I at least know that I'm moving in the right direction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Goals for April:

Good morning all! I did 15 minutes again today on the bike. Having my spinach in a smoothie today. Baby steps! Have a good day all....

***WEEKLY WEIGH-IN***
TwistedSassette
Weigh in day: Friday
SW: 138.5kg
PW: 128.5kg
CW: 127.2kg
LTD: 11.3kg
LTW: 1.3kg

Hi all
davidji82
Weigh In Day:Friday
PW: 240.9
CW: 237.8

@leonadixon Great work!

@TeresaW1020 Thanks. I don't think I did anything to my back, I think it might be the weather change or just for no good reason at all. That's interesting about the high protein / low carb / low fat diet. I hope it works for you.

@TwistedSassette Congrats on the loss and 25 lbs down! That's fantastic. You've been working so hard, you deserve it! Thanks re: my back. I think some gentle yoga would definitely help, I'll try to do some this morning. That's great about the pizza. Pizza makes my scale jump up, too. It's good yours didn't today. That was a good idea to decide ahead of time what you are going to eat and pre-track it. Enjoy your weekend!

Hi all. I had a pretty good day yesterday. I didn't get into the vending machines and I was on my feet for most of the day. This morning, I lost 2 lbs so I'm almost back to my weight 2 weeks ago. My back is better but still stiff and painful and my legs are aching. Not sure what that is about but I'll take some ibuprofen and do some yoga and see if that helps.

My phrase for the year: CHANGE HAPPENS

Well after over 2 months of no sugar I caved and ate chocolate. LOTS of chocolate. 😔 It went pretty much how I thought it would (almost). Someone offered me a chocolate covered licorice that she made especially for me. I ate it which led to having a taste of almost everything I haven't had in the last 2 months.

What I wasn't expecting is that by the time I got home I was over it. That's never happened to me before. Normally once I start back on sugar it's weeks or months before I can reign in it again. I brought home a bag of chocolate for the guys (something I'd been avoiding doing) and it wasn't overly appealing to me. I had a light low carb dinner, did 45 min of cardio and had a great sleep. I was up 2 lbs the next morning but half of that is already gone so no permanent damage.

I don't know if it was from the stretch of no sugar or the IF that helped but my sugar cravings have definitely diminished. Moving forward I will still be avoiding sugar and refined carbs but won't be as worried if I have the occasional indulgence as long as it doesn't become a habit again.

I didn't think about sleep until @raleighgirl09 posted about it. Lack of sleep has always been a huge sugar trigger for me and the night before my sugar binge I only slept 5 hrs. It might have helped if I had thought about it at the time but next time I'll be prepared.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and starts of May off strong